By Paul D. Greene
For the last several months, the state legislature has been considering reform of the workers' compensation system. The debate has been heated, with lawyers, business and insurance companies attacking or defending proposals. As an interested spectator-I am, by and large, a workers' compensation attorney who spent some time working for Congress-the debate was fascinating. Amongst the many voices, however, there was one that was not heard.
Voters often feel their representatives get in the capitol and forget completely about their constituents, instead bowing to the pressures of "big money special interests." People often give up in the face of such perceived opposition to what is in our collective best interest. Indeed, the national news has recently been all about influence peddling and out-right bribery to win votes on favorable bills. These stories are frustrating, to be sure, but they distort the true, and often neglected nature of the system.
The beauty of a representative democracy is that we get to choose who speaks for us, and tell them what to say. If they fail to speak for us, we have a regular opportunity to turn them out for someone who will. If you read the local, state or national news, you can easily see how the issues government handles can very personally impact your life, be it through a county tree ordinance, state property tax reform or gas prices. Too often, however, legislators craft new laws with only the information presented to them. Legislators hear from business and professional interests, but they do not often hear from individual voters. They do not hear from the people who give them a job.
Getting your voice heard by government is not easy. You have to make the effort to inform yourself on the issues, then go to the trouble of writing a letter, making a phone call or stopping by when your representative is in town. Given the significance of your potential contribution - influencing the laws that shape our lives-however, it is a very small sacrifice to make. While I admit workers' compensation reform might not be dinner table conversation in most households, many other issues pending at all levels of government deserve your attention. Tell your legislators what you think on the issues that matter to you. Your legislators might not always agree with you, but if you do not speak, you can't complain that they don't listen.
Paul Greene, an associate at Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A., practices law in the areas of workers' compensation and administrative law. For more information, visit www.gwblawfirm.com or call Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A. at (864) 271-9580.
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